Pigmented monolayer liner for appliances and methods of making the same

ABSTRACT

A method of making a liner for an appliance is provided that includes: mixing a polymeric capping layer precursor and a pigment additive; forming the capping layer precursor and the pigment additive into a capping layer at a capping layer formation temperature; and rolling the capping layer, a barrier layer and a polymeric base layer together to form a liner, each of the capping layer, the barrier layer and the base layer at about the capping layer formation temperature. Further, the liner comprises a capping region, a barrier region and a base region, the capping region comprising the pigment additive.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure generally relates to liners for appliances, particularlypigmented liners for refrigeration applications, and methods for makingthem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Liners having particular colors, hues, tints and the like are desiredfor many appliance-related applications, such as refrigerationappliances. As appliance designers have recently placed more emphasis oninterior design and lighting (e.g., given the lower energy usage oflight-emitting diode (LED) sources), the importance of interioraesthetics has increased for many consumers. Similarly, appliancemanufacturers often emphasize aesthetics, including through interiordesign approaches, in attempting to obtain brand differentiation fromtheir competitors.

Liners employed in appliances, including refrigeration appliances, areoften produced with extrusion processes. As these liners often arefabricated from two or more layers, conventional approaches to addingcolor to these liners often involve adding pigments to each extruderemployed in making a layer employed in the liner. As pigments are addedto multiple extruders, the complexity, repeatability and manufacturingcost of matching colors increases significantly for a liner thatcomprises two or more layers having pigments. Further, as significantloadings of pigments in these multi-layer liners are often employed,down-stream processes, e.g., thermo-forming, to incorporate the linersinto an end product can lead to local discoloration and yield losses.Further, multiple and cost-intensive extrusion runs are often requiredto fabricate a liner having multiple, extruded layers with pigments thatmatches a particular desired color, tint or hue. Still further, theseapproaches for making a liner having multiple, extruded pigmented layersrequire one or more adhesives to bond the layers, which increases costand can decrease manufacturing yield.

Accordingly, there is a need for methods of making liners, particularlypigmented liners for refrigeration appliances, which are repeatable,with high manufacturing flexibility, and low in cost. There is also aneed for pigmented liners that do not require or otherwise employinternal adhesives, have a high reliability and can be configuredaccording to various design aesthetics.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a method of making a linerfor an appliance is provided that includes: mixing a polymeric cappinglayer precursor and a pigment additive; forming the capping layerprecursor and the pigment additive into a capping layer at a cappinglayer formation temperature; and rolling the capping layer into apolymeric base layer to form a liner, each of the capping layer and thebase layer at about the capping layer formation temperature. Further,the liner comprises a capping region and a base region, the cappingregion comprising the pigment additive.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method of making aliner for an appliance is provided that includes: mixing a polymericcapping layer precursor and a pigment additive; forming the cappinglayer precursor and the pigment additive into a capping layer at acapping layer formation temperature; and rolling the capping layer, abarrier layer and a polymeric base layer together to form a liner, eachof the capping layer, the barrier layer and the base layer at about thecapping layer formation temperature. Further, the liner comprises acapping region, a barrier region and a base region, the capping regioncomprising the pigment additive.

According to a further aspect, a liner for an appliance is provided thatincludes: a polymeric liner comprising a monolayer, the monolayercomprising: a base region comprising a high-impact polystyrene material;and a capping region comprising a high-impact polystyrene material and apigment additive, the capping region disposed over the base region.Further, the base region and the capping region are joined withsubstantially no interfaces between them.

These and other features, advantages, and objects of the presentinvention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled inthe art by reference to the following specification, claims, andappended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofthe invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction withthe appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the inventionthere are shown in the drawings certain embodiment(s) which arepresently preferred. It should be understood, however, that theinvention is not limited to the precise arrangements andinstrumentalities shown. Drawings are not necessary to scale. Certainfeatures of the invention may be exaggerated in scale or shown inschematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a refrigeration appliance comprising a lineraccording to an aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a schematic of an enlarged cross-section of a liner at regionIIA comprising a capping region with a pigment additive and a baseregion according to an aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a schematic of an enlarged cross-section of a liner at regionIIB comprising a capping region with a pigment additive, a barrierregion and a base region according to an aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a flow chart schematic of a method of making a liner, such asdepicted in FIG. 2A, according to a further aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 3B is a flow chart schematic of a method of making a liner, such asdepicted in FIG. 2B, according to a further aspect of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the subject invention is described further, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the particularembodiments of the invention described below, as variations of theparticular embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope ofthe appended claims. It is also to be understood that the terminologyemployed is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, and isnot intended to be limiting. Instead, the scope of the present inventionwill be established by the appended claims.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lowerlimit of that range, and any other stated or intervening value in thatstated range, is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lowerlimits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in thesmaller ranges, and are also encompassed within the invention, subjectto any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the statedrange includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either orboth of those included limits are also included in the invention.

In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearlydictates otherwise.

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodimentsthereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and willherein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, thatthere is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure tothe particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

As outlined in various exemplary forms, methods of making liners areoutlined in the disclosure that are repeatable, with high manufacturingflexibility, and low in cost. These methods can be employed to fabricatepigmented liners suitable for various appliances, includingrefrigeration appliances. Also outlined in the disclosure areconfigurations for liners, e.g., the pigmented liners made from thesemethods, which do not require or otherwise employ internal adhesives,have a high reliability and can be configured according to variousdesign aesthetics.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a refrigeration appliance 200 is provided inexemplary form that comprises a liner 100 a, 100 b according to anembodiment. As shown, the liner 100 a, 100 b is mounted to a cabinet 1of the refrigeration appliance 200. In some configurations, the liner100 a, 100 b is mounted to a foam 70 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) installed onan exterior surface of the cabinet 1. In other configurations, the liner100 a, 100 b is mounted directly to the cabinet 1. Typically, the liner100 a, 100 b is attached, joined or otherwise fastened to the cabinet 1through an adhesive, bonding agent, mechanical fastener (e.g., rivets,screws, etc.) or another comparable approach. However, as noted earlier,the liner 100 a, 100 b itself does not include any internal adhesivesand, according to some aspects, includes one or more pigment additives.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a liner 100 a (such as incorporated into theappliance 200 depicted in FIG. 1) includes a capping region 50 and abase region 10. According to an implementation, the capping region 50and the base region 10 are joined with substantially no interfacesbetween them, thus forming a monolayer that serves as the liner 100 a.More particularly, the liner 100 a (or the monolayer of the liner) caninclude a base region 10 that is formed from a base 13 that comprises ahigh-impact polystyrene (HIPS) precursor material. The liner 100 a alsoincludes a capping region 50, disposed over the base region 10, which isformed from a capping base 53 that comprises the same or a similar HIPSprecursor material as employed in the capping region 50. The cappingregion 50 also includes a pigment additive 55 within the capping base53. In general, the pigment additive 55 is incorporated and/or dispersedwithin the capping base 53 at a level sufficient to impart a desiredcolor, hue, tinting or the like in the liner 100 a.

Referring again to the liner 100 a depicted in FIG. 2A, the base 13 ofthe base region 10 can be formed from one or more precursor materialsincluding high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), polybutadiene, polystyrene(PS), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) materials. In someaspects, fungicides and/or colorant dispersants can be incorporated intothe base 13 of the base region 10. In preferred embodiments, theprecursor material(s) selected for use in the base 13 arethermoplastics, suitable for use in an extrusion process and theincorporation of one or more additives, such as pigments and othercolorants. As also depicted in FIG. 2A, the base 13 of the base region10 can be configured with a thickness 12 (e.g., through extrusion,rolling, etc.) of about 1.3 mm (about 50 mils) to about 13 mm (about 500mils). In a preferred embodiment, the base 13 has a thickness 12 ofabout 3.8 mm (about 150 mils) to about 7.6 mm (about 300 mils). Notethat the thickness 12 of the base 13 of the base region 10 is given inapproximate dimensions, as would be typically associated with the base13 being in a sheet or layer form before incorporation into the liner100 a. For example, the base region 10 and the capping region 50, aspart of the liner 100 a, do not contain any appreciable interfacesbetween them according to some implementations of the disclosure.

Referring again to the liner 100 a depicted in FIG. 2A, the capping base53 of the capping region 50 can be formed from one or more precursormaterials including high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), polybutadiene,polystyrene (PS), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) materials.In preferred embodiments, the precursor material(s) selected for use inthe capping base 53 are thermoplastics, suitable for use in an extrusionprocess and the incorporation of one or more pigment additives 55, othercolorants, tinting agents and the like. As also depicted in FIG. 2A, thecapping base 53 of the capping region 50 can be configured with athickness 52 (e.g., through extrusion, rolling, etc.) of about 0.13 mm(about 0.5 mils) to about 0.5 mm (about 20 mils). In a preferredembodiment, the capping base 53 has a thickness 52 of about 0.06 mm(about 2.5 mils) to about 0.19 mm (about 7.5 mils). Note that thethickness 52 of the capping base 53 of the capping region 50 is given inapproximate dimensions, as would be typically associated with thecapping base 53 being in a sheet or layer form before incorporation intothe liner 100 a. As noted earlier, the base region 10 and the cappingregion 50, as part of the liner 100 a, do not contain any appreciableinterfaces between them according to some implementations of thedisclosure.

As also shown in FIG. 2A, the liner 100 a includes one or more pigmentadditives 55, configured to impart color, tinting or the like into theliner 100 a. As understood by those with ordinary skill in the field ofthe disclosure, various metallic, ceramic, polymeric pigments andcolorants can be added at various concentrations within the polymericmaterials employed in the liner 100 a. For example, titanium oxide canbe included as a pigment additive 55 to achieve a white color. Asanother example, a liner 100 a with a charcoal-sparkle appearance can becreated by employing carbon black and one or more of quartz, mica, andstainless steel as the pigment additives 55. In an aspect of thedisclosure, the pigment additive(s) 55 are incorporated into the cappingregion 50 at a concentration level and dispersed to ensure that theliner 100 a exhibits a particular color, hue or the like as desired bythe user of the appliance or other end product employing the liner 100a. In a preferred embodiment, no additional additive(s) 55 are necessaryin the base region 10 to obtain the desired color, hue or tinting forthe liner 100 a. According to another embodiment, additive(s) 55 areincorporated into the capping region 50 and the base region 10, e.g., asdispersed at concentrations sufficient for the liner 100 a to obtain thedesired color, hue or tinting. According to some aspects, the pigmentadditive(s) 55 are incorporated into the capping region 50 at aconcentration from about 5% to about 30% (by weight). Optionally, thepigment additive(s) 55 are incorporated into the base region 10 at aconcentration from about 1% to about 10%. Preferably, the concentrationof the additive(s) 55 in the capping region 50 is set between about 15%to about 25% (by weight) and in the base region 10, if present, from 3%to about 5% (by weight).

As shown in FIG. 2B, a liner 100 b (e.g., as incorporated into theappliance 200 depicted in FIG. 1) includes a capping region 50, abarrier region 30 and a base region 10. More generally, however, theliner 100 b is similar in most respects to the liner 100 a shown in FIG.2A and described earlier. Accordingly, like-numbered elements andfeatures of the liner 100 b and the liner 100 a have the same or similarstructures and functions. The primary difference between the liner 100 aand the liner 100 b is that the latter includes a barrier region 30,sandwiched between the base region 10 and the capping region 50. In thisimplementation, the barrier region 30 offers protection to the cappingregion 50 from the diffusion of effluents, volatiles and other potentialcontaminants associated with the foam 70, installed adjacent to thecabinet 1. These contaminants, for example, could discolor or lead toother defects within the capping region 50.

According to an implementation of the liner 100 b depicted in FIG. 2B,the capping region 50, the barrier region 30 and the base region 10 arejoined with substantially no interfaces between them, thus forming amonolayer that serves as the liner 100 b. More particularly, the liner100 b (or the monolayer of the liner) can include a base region 10 thatis formed from a base 13 that comprises a high-impact polystyrene (HIPS)precursor material. The liner 100 b also includes a capping region 50,disposed over a barrier region 30 and the base region 10, which isformed from a capping base 53 that comprises the same or a similar HIPSprecursor material as employed in the capping region 50. The cappingregion 50 also includes a pigment additive 55 within the capping base53. In general, the pigment additive 55 is incorporated and/or dispersedwithin the capping base 53 at a level sufficient to impart a desiredcolor, hue, tinting or the like in the liner 100 b.

Still further, the liner 100 b depicted in FIG. 2B includes a barrierregion 30 that is disposed between the base region 10 and the cappingregion 50. Preferably, the barrier region 30 comprises a polyethylenematerial and a material employed in the barrier base 33, typically amaterial comparable to that employed in the capping base 53 and/or thebase 13, e.g., a high-impact polystyrene (HIPS). According to anembodiment, additional compatibilizers, as understood by those withordinary skill in the art, are added to the barrier region 30 to ensurethat the polyethylene layers and HIPS material within the barrier region30 are combined without the formation of voids, bubbles, delaminationdefects, etc. In some implementations, the barrier region 30 includesone or more barrier layers 34 comprising a polyethylene material, asinterspersed within the material of the barrier base 33.

According to an embodiment of the liner 100 b, the barrier base 33 ofthe barrier region 30 can be formed from one or more precursor materialsincluding high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), polystyrene (PS), styrenicpolymers, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and combinations ofthese materials. In preferred embodiments, the precursor material(s)selected for use in the barrier base 33 are thermoplastics, suitable foruse in an extrusion process. As also depicted in FIG. 2B, the barrierbase 33 of the barrier region 30 can be configured with a thickness 32(e.g., through extrusion, rolling, etc.) of about 0.13 mm (about 5 mils)to about 1.3 mm (about 50 mils). In a preferred embodiment, the barrierbase 33 has a thickness 32 of about 0.25 mm (about 10 mils) to about0.76 mm (about 30 mils). Note that the thickness 32 of the barrier base33 of the barrier region 30 is given in approximate dimensions, as wouldbe typically associated with the barrier base 33 being in a sheet orlayer form before incorporation into the liner 100 b. As noted earlier,the base region 10, barrier region 30 and the capping region 50, as partof the liner 100 b, do not contain any appreciable interfaces betweenthem according to some implementations of the disclosure.

Referring again to the liners 100 a, 100 b, a preferred implementationof these liners is configured such that the base region 10 and thecapping region 50 (i.e., for liner 100 a) or the base region 10, barrierregion 30 and the capping region 50 (i.e., for liner 100 b) are joinedwith substantially no interfaces between them. That is, a cross-sectionof the liner 100 a, 100 b when viewed under low magnification will notreveal any indications of an interface or interfaces between the baseregion 10, the barrier region 30 and/or the capping region 50.Advantageously, the lack of any appreciable interfaces between thecapping region 50, barrier region 30 and/or the base region 10significantly reduces the likelihood that these regions will delaminateduring subsequent processing (e.g., thermo-forming of the liner 100 a,100 b into a refrigeration appliance 200, such as depicted in FIG. 1)and other the demands of the application environment of the liner 100 a.Another advantage of these liners is that the base region 10 and cappingregion 50 for the liner 100 a, and the base region 10, barrier region 30and the capping region 50 for the liner 100 b, are configured withsubstantially no interfaces between them, thus eliminating the necessityof employing adhesives or other bonding agents to join them. As theseimplementations of the liners 100 a, 100 b do not require adhesives,they can be fabricated at a lower cost. Further, the lack of adhesivesemployed between these regions tends to result in improved coloruniformity for these liners 100 a, 100 b in comparison to conventional,pigmented multi-layer liners with layers joined with internal adhesives.

Referring now to FIG. 3A, a method 300 a of making a liner, e.g., liner100 a, for an appliance is depicted in schematic form. The method 300 aincludes a mixing step 310 for mixing a polymeric capping layerprecursor (e.g., for a capping base 53) and a pigment additive (e.g.,pigment additive 55). In some embodiments, the mixing step 310 comprisesmixing the polymeric capping layer precursor and from about 5% to about30% pigment additive by weight, preferably from about 15% to about 25%by weight. The mixing step 310, for example, can be conducted within anextruder or in a separate vessel or container. According to someaspects, the mixing step 310 is conducted such that the polymericcapping layer precursor and pigment additive materials are mixed inparticulate form.

Referring again to FIG. 3A, the method 300 a of making a liner for anappliance further includes an extruding step 320 for forming the cappinglayer precursor (e.g., for a capping base 53) and the pigment additive(e.g., pigment additive 55) into a capping layer 50′ at a capping layerformation temperature. According to some embodiments, the capping layer50′ that results from the extruding step 320 comprises pigment additives55 that are substantially dispersed within a capping base 53, as derivedfrom the capping layer precursor. In some implementations, the extrudingstep 320 is conducted in an extruder suitable for extrusion ofthermoplastic materials into polymeric layers. According to someembodiments, the capping layer formation temperature is set betweenabout 275° F. to about 400° F., preferably between about 290° F. and370° F. In other aspects, the extruding step 320 is conducted with otherapparatus to accomplish the same or similar function as would beunderstood by those with ordinary skill in the art, e.g., hot-pressingapparatus, injection molding apparatus, etc.

Referring once again to FIG. 3A, the method 300 a of making a liner foran appliance further includes a rolling step 330 for rolling the cappinglayer (e.g., capping layer 50′) into a polymeric base layer (e.g.,polymeric base layer 10′) to form a liner (e.g., liner 100 a). In someaspects, the polymeric base layer, e.g., layer 10′, includes a base 13and, optionally, pigment additives 55 dispersed within the base 13. Inaddition, the rolling step 330 is conducted at about the capping layerformation temperature. According to an embodiment, the rolling step 330of the method 300 a is conducted by obtaining the capping layer, as itexists at the capping layer formation temperature during the precedingextruding step 320, and rolling it into the polymeric base layer.Accordingly, the rolling step 330 can involve rolling the capping layerand the polymeric base layer together, at about the capping layerformation temperature, to form a liner. By rolling the capping layer andthe polymeric base layer together at about the same temperature in whichthey were extruded or otherwise processed in earlier steps, the rollingstep 330 ensures that these features are joined together withsubstantially no interfaces between them. In some aspects, the liner canbe characterized as a monolayer given that there are substantially nointerfaces between the capping region and the base region within theliner. In some embodiments, the liner (e.g., liner 100 a) that resultsfrom the rolling step 330 comprises a capping region (e.g., cappingregion 50) and a base region (e.g., base region 10), the capping regioncomprising the pigment additive. According to some aspects, the rollingstep 330 is conducted to form a liner that comprises substantially nointerfaces between the capping region and the base region.

In some implementations, the rolling step 330 is conducted with thecapping layer and the polymeric base layer configured between a set oftwo or more rollers (not shown) that are set at a predetermined rollingpressure. Further, the rollers can be heated to about the capping layerformation temperature, e.g., between about 275° F. to about 400° F. Thatis, the capping layer comprising pigment additive, as formed in thepreceding extruding step 320, is rolled during the rolling step 330 witha polymeric base layer through a set of rollers. The pressure applied bythe rollers, and the fact that the rollers are set to approximately thecapping layer formation temperature, ensures that that the capping layerand the polymeric base layer are merged together during the rolling step330 into the liner.

According to an embodiment, the method 300 a of making a liner depictedin FIG. 3A can be conducted with an additional shaping step (not shown)after formation of the liner in steps 310, 320 and 330. That is, themethod 300 a can be conducted with a step of shaping the liner into afinal liner form at a shaping temperature, the final liner suitable forassembly into a refrigeration appliance (e.g., refrigeration appliance200 as shown in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the shaping step isconducted according to a thermo-forming process, typically at atemperature that approaches, but does not exceed, the capping layerformation temperature employed in earlier steps of the method 300 a. Insome aspects, the shaping step is conducted between about 200° F. toabout 350° F.

According to some implementations of the method 300 a of making a linerdepicted in FIG. 3A, the mixing and extruding steps 310, 320 areconducted such that the capping layer that results from these stepsexhibits a predetermined color. For example, a customer may select apredetermined color that is suitable for a liner to be made according tothe method 300 a. One can then engage in the mixing and extruding steps310 and 320 of the method 300 a to produce various trial capping layersamples, until a capping layer is produced that matches thepredetermined color set by the customer. At this point, the method 300 acan then be completed by rolling the desired capping layer with therolling step 330 into a base layer to form a liner, the liner exhibitingthe predetermined color by virtue of its incorporation of the cappinglayer with the predetermined color. Advantageously, the method 300 a ofmaking a liner can be conducted efficiently on a single extruder todevelop various capping layers having desired colors. In contrast, someconventional approaches require the use of multiple extruders to producea pigmented, multi-layer liner. Further, the incorporation of thepigment into the capping layer by the method 300 a, without the need todisperse it through the full thickness of the liner, reduces pigmentadditive material costs.

Referring now to FIG. 3B, a method 300 b of making a liner, e.g., liner100 b, for an appliance is depicted in schematic form. The method 300 bdepicted in FIG. 3B is similar to the method 300 a outlined earlier anddepicted in FIG. 3A, and like numbered elements and steps have the sameor similar features. The primary difference between method 300 a andmethod 300 b is that the rolling step 330 in the latter method furtherincorporates a barrier layer 30′ into the capping layer 50′ and thepolymeric base layer 10′. That is, the rolling step 330 of the method300 b involves rolling the capping layer (e.g., capping layer 50′), abarrier layer 30′ and a polymeric base layer (e.g., polymeric base layer10′) together to form a liner (e.g., liner 100 b). In some aspects, thepolymeric base layer, e.g., layer 10′, includes a base 13 and,optionally, pigment additives 55 dispersed within the base 13.

In some aspects of the method 300 b, the rolling step 330 of the method300 b is conducted at about the capping layer formation temperature.Accordingly, the rolling step 330 can involve rolling the capping layer,the barrier layer and the polymeric base layer together, at about thecapping layer formation temperature, to form a liner (e.g., liner 100b). By rolling the capping layer, barrier layer and the polymeric baselayer together at about the same temperature in which they were extrudedor otherwise processed in earlier steps, the rolling step 330 ensuresthat these features are joined together with substantially no interfacesbetween them. According to an embodiment, the rolling step 330 of themethod 300 b is conducted by obtaining the capping layer, as it existsat the capping layer formation temperature during the precedingextruding step 320, and rolling it into the polymeric base layer and thebarrier layer.

In some aspects of the method 300 b, the liner (e.g., liner 100 b)produced according to the method can be characterized as a monolayergiven that there are substantially no interfaces between the cappingregion, barrier layer region and the base region within the liner. Insome embodiments, the liner (e.g., liner 100 b) that results from therolling step 330 comprises a capping region (e.g., capping region 50), abarrier region (e.g., barrier region 30) and a base region (e.g., baseregion 10), the capping region comprising the pigment additive.According to some aspects, the rolling step 330 is conducted to form aliner that comprises substantially no interfaces between the cappingregion, barrier region and the base region.

Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-describedembodiments of the disclosure without departing substantially from thespirit and various principles of the disclosure. For example, theprinciples associated with the methods of making a liner and the linerconfigurations of the disclosure can be employed in fabricating linersfor use in various appliances, such as portable refrigerators, coolers,storage containers, etc. These methods and liner configurations can alsobe applied in the development of exterior surfaces of various appliancesand other household items with various design aesthetics and colorationfeatures. All such modifications and variations are intended to beincluded herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by thefollowing claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of making a liner for anappliance, comprising: mixing a polymeric capping layer precursor and apigment additive; forming the capping layer precursor and the pigmentadditive into a capping layer at a capping layer formation temperature;and rolling the capping layer into a polymeric base layer to form aliner, each of the capping layer and the base layer at about the cappinglayer formation temperature, wherein the liner comprises a cappingregion and a base region, the capping region comprising the pigmentadditive.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rolling stepis conducted to form a liner comprising substantially no interfacesbetween the capping region and the base region.
 3. The method accordingto claim 1, wherein the mixing step comprises mixing the polymericcapping layer precursor and from about 5% to about 30% pigment additiveby weight.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base layerfurther comprises from about 1% to about 10% of the pigment additive byweight.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein forming step isconducted by extruding the capping layer precursor and the pigmentadditive into a capping layer at the capping layer formationtemperature.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rollingstep is conducted with the capping layer and the polymeric base layerconfigured between a plurality of rollers set at a predetermined rollingpressure, the rollers heated to the capping layer formation temperature.7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric capping layerprecursor and the polymeric base layer each comprise high-impactpolystyrene material.
 8. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising: shaping the liner into a final liner at a shapingtemperature, the final liner suitable for assembly into a refrigerationappliance.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mixing andforming steps are conducted such that the capping layer exhibits apredetermined color.
 10. A method of making a liner for an appliance,comprising: mixing a polymeric capping layer precursor and a pigmentadditive; forming the capping layer precursor and the pigment additiveinto a capping layer at a capping layer formation temperature; androlling the capping layer, a barrier layer and a polymeric base layertogether to form a liner, each of the capping layer, the barrier layerand the base layer at about the capping layer formation temperature,wherein the liner comprises a capping region, a barrier region and abase region, the capping region comprising the pigment additive.
 11. Themethod according to claim 10, wherein the rolling step is conducted toform a liner comprising substantially no interfaces between the cappingregion, the barrier region and the base region.
 12. The method accordingto claim 10, wherein the mixing step comprises mixing the polymericcapping layer precursor and from about 5% to about 30% pigment additiveby weight.
 13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the base layerfurther comprises from about 1% to about 10% of the pigment additive byweight.
 14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the forming stepis conducted by extruding the capping layer precursor and the pigmentadditive into a capping layer at the capping layer formationtemperature.
 15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the rollingstep is conducted with the capping layer, barrier layer and thepolymeric base layer configured between a plurality of rollers set at apredetermined rolling pressure, the rollers heated to the capping layerformation temperature.
 16. The method according to claim 10, wherein thepolymeric capping layer precursor and the polymeric base layer eachcomprise high-impact polystyrene material, and further wherein thebarrier layer comprises a polyethylene material and a high-impactpolystyrene material.
 17. The method according to claim 10, furthercomprising: shaping the liner into a final liner at a shapingtemperature, the final liner suitable for assembly into a refrigerationappliance.
 18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the mixing andforming steps are conducted such that the capping layer exhibits apredetermined color.
 19. A liner for an appliance, comprising: apolymeric liner comprising a monolayer, the monolayer comprising: a baseregion comprising a high-impact polystyrene material; and a cappingregion comprising a high-impact polystyrene material and a pigmentadditive, the capping region disposed over the base region, wherein thebase region and the capping region are joined with substantially nointerfaces between them.
 20. The liner according to claim 19, whereinthe monolayer further comprises a barrier region between the base regionand the capping region, the barrier region comprising a polyethylenematerial and a high-impact polystyrene material, and wherein the baseregion, the barrier region and the capping region are joined withsubstantially no interfaces between them.